Ditch inq and grading mac h in e



(No Model.) 3' SheetsSheet 1.

' I. B. HAMMOND. DITGHING AND GRADING MACHINE.

NQQ 295.247; Patented Mar. 18, 1884.

Jnwzzar: x 10 N. FEYERS. Phom-Lvlhognpber. Wamngmn. u c

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I. B. HAMMOND.

DITGHING AND GRADING MACHINE. Nu. 295,247. Q Pigmented Mar. 18, 1884.

I B. HAMMOND. DITGHING AND GRADING MACHINE.

3 Sheets-$heet 3.

(No Model.)

Patented Mar. 18, 1884:

Isaac B. HAlllllIO'NJ), on OH'IQAGQ, ILLINQls- DlTCHl NGI AND GFRAD ING 5 MAC lN E.

sPnoIFzcn-trion', forming part of healers,

Patent no, 295,247, dated. March. 13 1834,

ApplicationufiledDecember 28,1832. (No model.)

1' 0 11 135 whom it .1 may concern;

Be itknown that I, Issac-B. HAM OND, of; Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have inventedeertain new and useful Improvements inDitohing-andGrading Mae chines; andl do hereby declare that-"the iollowspecification.

Thisiuvention relates to. machines for digging earth and reinoving'it, and more partied-.- larly to machinesadapted for the grading/of.

railroad-beds; and it is an improvement on; the machine described in Letters Patentizofi mounted on wheels, which will travel on the intact ground,and that will consecutively, out after out, break npt-he soil, and'seoopiitruphill until the proper ditch and slope of the railwaybed is formed, and that will deport the earth thus removed, and will either dump it for fillings or deliver it into transport-wagons; the whole being arranged to be driven by steaurpower. For this purpose my invention consistslin the construction and arrangement of the elements that will perform the designed: functions, as hereinafter described, and specifically claimed. 7

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I represents side elevation, and Fi g. 2 a plan, of the machine; Fig. 3, a perspective viewof. the trunnion-plate; Fig. 4-, a sectional end elevationof the machine; Fig. 5, a detailed; perspective view of part of the conveyor-belt with one of the scoops attached; and Fig. 6,

a similar View of part of the belt with oneof the piow-hooks attached. Fig. 7-represents a side elevation of 'one of the sliding vertical mandrel, b, is also placed a tube, a, that rests upontube a of sleeve B, and is rigid; with a square sleeve, (2, and through these sleevesal are passed the ends of longitudinal beams D. Upon theupwardly-projecting end of each mandrel b is secured acrank, c, andthese. cranks e of the forward end, aswell as; ofthe: rearwardend, are connected,each pair, byabar, E, in-such a manner that bothcranks of either endof the frame will be turned si-.

ina corresponding direction.

' Upon the center ol'axle A issecured a plate, f, and upon this is coupled the trunnion-plate F by a king-bolt passed through holes in the that such trunnion-plate F can turn thereon.

plateF are pivotally supported upon a bolt, 9, the sidebeams, G, that constitute the swing.- ing frame, and are suitably braced together. This frame, as will be noticed, is thus supported near one end upon aXle-treeA, while itsother end reaches near to axle-tree A, and each beam G is trussed by a rod, L, that is spannedover a strut, Z, and is coupled with its ends to the opposite ends of such beam G.

Upon beams D are secured uprights H, that a-resteadied by braces, and are connected by abridge'tree, h, and upon bridge-tree it ride two pulleys, I, that have bifurcated hangers t, to which are coupled the end of ropes. or chains J that pass over sheaves j between near one end of beams G, and thence pass between such beams to near the opposite end of the same, where such ropes J are secured to and. wind upon a drum, K, that is pivoted between thebeams G.

To the opposite ends of beams G are arranged pulleys M and N, over which the endless rubber belt 0 is stretched. The shaftofi pulley M is pivoted in boxes m, that are securedagai'nst the ends of beams G, and upon the overhangingen d of such shaft is mounted a gear-wheel, P, that meshes with the teeth of a pinion, n, mounted upon the drivingshaft 0, and upon the opposite end of thisdrivingshaft is mounted, again, a grooved pulley, Q. An endless rope, R, is passed over this pulley Q, is thence guided over two sheaves, p, and

thence passed over the driving-pulley Q of multaneously, and'both wheels O'will thus be;

center ofboth plates and the axle Ain a manner Between the eyed end lugs of such trunnion-v portable engine, S, the truck-frame of which has pivotally connected a rod, 4", that telescopes into a tube, s,'which, again, is pivotally connected with the end of axle-beam A, and in which such rod r is adjustably secured by a set-screw. By this device the ditching-machine frameis coupled to the engine-frame in a manner to vary the distance between such frames, for stretching the drive-rope R to be taut upon its pulleys, and to resist the tension of such rope while transmitting power from the engine to the ditchingmachine.

Upon the driving-shaft 0 is also mounted a small friction-wheel, u, that engages with the face of a pulley, T, mounted upon the overhanging end of the shaftof drum- K, which shaft is journaled in sliding boxes, as shown inFig. 7 of the drawings, that are moved by a lever, K. By a rod, U, that is connected to the upper extremity of lever K and extends beyond the bridgetree h at the opposite end of the machine, such lever K can be swung either to force the pulley T against the friction-wheel u, for starting the drum K, or to force the pulley T against a friction-shoe or block if, for stoppingand braking the drum.

Upon the beams D, over axle-tree A, is pro vided a platform, Z, upon which the operator will stand, for handling rod U.

The shaft of the lower pulley, N, is pivoted between two eye-bars, t, which are guided in boxes 1), that are bolted against the sides of beams G in such manner that each of such bars 1) can be shifted longitudinally, and is adjusted by a screw, w. for stretching and tightening the belt 0. The rubber belt 0 is guided and supported on a series of rollers, V, that are pivoted in suitable brackets upon and below the beams G, and a few of these rollers V are provided with flanges that will tend to hold the belt central upon the pulleys M and N. y

Upon the exterior surface of belt 0 are secured cross-bars W W at equal distance apart.

These cross-bars are of a length that is equal to the width of the belt, and are fastened to such belt by rivets or bolts. upon every other bar WV are secured, again by rivets or bolts, a series of plow-hooks, X, the exterior two of each row being curved outward to cut a sufficient clearance in the soil for the edges of the belt to remain intact. The intermediate bars,VV,carry the scoops Y, that consist each of a steel plate having rectangular side flanges, 3 (See Fig. 5.) Each such scoop is secured to its respective bar W by two curved and half-twisted straps, x, that with one end are riveted to the side flanges, y, of the scoop, and with their opposite ends are bolted or riveted to the bar W. The plow-hooksX will loosen the soil on their down passage, and

Consecutively charged therefrom by centrifugal force and by its own gravity.

By the arrangement for turning the wheels Gin pairs to any desired direction, the machine can be transported over short curved roads, besides the advantage of changing the angle of the machine during the operation of the same to correspond with the line of the out to be made.

The axle-trees A and the longitudinal beams D, that form the main or supporting frame, being pivotally connected by the mandrels b in the manner described, such mainframe will accommodate itself to any desired angle, to change from a rectangular to a rhomboidal shape; and one end of frame Gbeing pivotally supported on one of the axle-trees A, with its other end suspended to the main frame on rollers I, that ride upon bridge-tree h, such frame G can be swung to occupy any angular position relative to beams D inside-of the main frame that may be desirable.

As will be noticed from Fig. 1, one pair of wheels, 0, is to ride upon the road-bed, while the other pair is intended, generally, to travel on the intact ground on the opposite'side of the ditch to be cut; but in locations where it becomes necessary the sleeves d can be shifted toward the middle of beams D, so that all the wheels will ride upon the road-bed.

The machine being placed in position, it is set in motion, and the frame G is lowered by the hoist-drum K until the plow hooks and scoops will touch the ground, when the digging will commence, and 'will be continued until the ditch has been cut to the proper depth or the slope of the road-bed has been brought to the proper angle. The furrow thus cut will be of a width equal to the width of the scoops. Now, by means of the hoistdrum K, the frame G is lifted again until the plow hooks and scoops will clear the ground, when the machine will be moved forward just the width of a furrow, and another cut will be made, and so on in succession, out after out.

When it is desirable to give the road-bed a very steep slope, the axle A can be set higher above the wheels '0 by placing washers or thimbles over the mandrels b below sleeves a, for such sleeves to rest upon.

Fender-plates may be secured against the lower or swinging end of frame G, that will close the open spaces between the belt, to prevent loose soil from crowding between the belt and pulley N.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. In a ditching and grading machine, the scoops Y, rigidly connected by straps w to bars W, which are secured upon an endlessbelt, 0, that is stretched over pulley's M and N, all constructed and arranged as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In aditching and grading machine, the

. endless belt 0, stretched over pulleys M and N of swinging frame G, and having alternate plowdiooks X and scoops Y, such pulley M being driven by a gear-wheel, I, pinion n, and pulley Q, and from the engine S by an endless rope, R, that is guided over sheaves all constructed and arranged substantially as described, to operate as specified.

at. In a ditching and grading machine, the

' axle-trees A A and longitudinal beams D,

pivotally connected each to the other by mandrels b, that have wheels 0 and cranks e, connected by bars E, all substantially as and for the purpose described and shown.

5. In a ditching and grading machine, the combination of main frame, composed of axletrees A A and longitudinal beam D, wheels 0, pivoted in the bifurcated shanks of mandrel 5, frame G, pivotally supported on bolt 5 upon plate F and plate f, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.v

6. In a ditching and grading machine, the main frame, consisting of axle-trees A and A andlongitudinal beams D, having uprights H,

with bridge-tree I and supported on wheels 0, in combination with swinging frame G, pivotally supported at one end on axle-tree A, and suspended at its opposite end by ropes J, that are coupled to hangers zof rollers I, passed over sheaves j, and thence wound upon drum K, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a ditching and grading machine, the combination, with the main frame having axle-trees A A, longitudinal beams D, and bridge-tree h, with rollers I and hangers i, of swinging frame G, having sheaves j, drum K, having its shaftjournaled in sliding boxes, with pulley T, drivingshaft 0, with frictionwheel a, brake-shoe t, shifting-lever 7a, with rod U and ropes J, coupled to hangers t, passed over sheaves j, and thence winding upon drum K, all constructed and'arranged to operate substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

8. In a ditching and grading machine, the combination, with frame G, of driving-pulley Q and sheaves p, rope or belt It, main frame having axle-tree A, having tube 8, portable engine S, having rod r, adapted to enter'tube s and be adjustably secured therein by a set-screw, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- ISAAC B. HAMMOND. WVitnesses:

LOUIS NOLTING, ADAM Gno. WHITE. 

